Gabon Mineral Port Planning

There has been increasing interest in the use of topping-off and top-loading vessel transport systems to ease the burden of expenditures for deepening harbors to fully load large vessels. Evaluations were made of such vessel transport systems in addition to the customary analyses of channel dredging and construction of deepwater port facilities for a variety of alternative courses of action to determine the most appropriate site and program for development of a mineral export terminal at Gabon. The studies revealed that construction of a terminal adjacent to the Port of Owendo and the use of topping-off systems would provide the most economical solution for serving ore carriers of 70,000 to 250,000 dwt. at Gabon. The program was implemented in March 1985 at a cost of 130 million U. S. dollars.